When Michelle Obama was the First Lady of the United States, racism could have cared less. In fact, we know that when the Obamas were in the White House, that is what sparked the current racial backlash we are experiencing since their departure. 

 

In this President's Day episode of Black Girl Voice: The Podcast, we are discussing the racism Mrs. Obama faced during her tenure. 

 

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Ever seen the hashtag #BlackLove on social media and wonder why Black folks go so hard for Black love? This episode will answer your question. 

We often receive a lot of hate when we use the hashtags #BlackLove, #BlackMarriages, #BlackCouples, and so forth. Comments such as, "what about white love?", and "if we amplified white love it would be a problem but it's okay when you all do it?" 

 

Yes, it is. Because, just as with everything else in the Black experience, our joy and our love is resistance. From it being illegal for enslaved persons to marry to racist rules around welfare that forced Black families to separate to the mass incarceration of Black men that continue to break our families apart, we have to fight hard for marriages in our community. In this episode, we will dive deeper into the "why" behind the fight for Black Love and share just how important Black love is to us on a personal level. Lastly, we will encourage you to join in our celebration of Black love and Black joy instead of a centralized focus on our trauma.

 

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Happy Black History Month! We're focusing on all things Black-ity Black this month (as we should), but we're making sure that the emphasis is on Black joy, love, culture, and beauty because that is what Black History Month is about. Black history is so much more than trauma and racism so we are encouraging our listeners to celebrate and honor Black culture for the wonder that it is. 

In this episode, we are talking about iconic Black TV shows that helped shape Black culture and the personal impact those shows have had on us. You're going to want to binge a few shows after listening to this one. 

 

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We're wrapping up our January episodes (yes, we know it's the first day of February, but mental health comes first) with a round-up of the major events that happened during 2021 and how they impacted our lives, our mental/physical health, our communities, and more. This is another installment of Hot Takes You Didn't Ask For. 

 

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Let's be real -- there are a lot of mega influencers and public figures out there with cult-like followers that worship the ground they walk on. You would think that what these individuals have to say is so revolutionary it has literally changed everyone's life. The truth is, however, that most of these people aren't really that revolutionary at all. They just happen to be blonde and beautiful. 

 

In this week's episode of Black Girl Voices: The Podcast, Shivaun and Caroline are discussing the truth behind just how much white privilege plays a major role in who "makes it" in this world and who continues to struggle just to be seen. 

 

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Cultural appropriation. What is it and why is it such a big deal? This episode will answer that question and more. If you've ever thought about wearing braids in your hair, changing your voice to sound more "hip," choosing a costume for your children for Halloween that doesn't represent your race, or just wondered whether you can appreciate a culture without appropriating it then this episode is for you. 

 

In this episode, we talk about a specific Instagram post from a wonderful account, @darkest.hue. Click the link to have a visual of what we are discussing and please make sure to give her a follow. Her work is amazing. 

 

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We're back with part two of our Black stereotypes series. In the first episode of this two-part series, we talked about the majority of the main stereotypes the world has portrayed onto the Black community and the truth behind where they come from, and what they actually mean.

 

The first episode focused specifically on the stereotypes that white people and other people of color tend to believe about Black people as a whole, and the truth about where those stereotypes originated and what they actually mean. 

 

This episode continues the conversation, but this time we are talking about stereotypes that have developed within the Black community. These are stereotypes that we have developed within our own community throughout the generations and evolution of Black culture.

 

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Where to find us:

- Black Girl Voices on Instagram

- Shivaun's Instagram

- Caroline's Instagram 

- Support us on Patreon

The hood. Thugs. Gang Bangers. Baby mamas. Let's be real. We know that these characteristics are among the main stereotypes that the world believes about Black people. In this episode of Black Girl Voices: The Podcast, we're unpacking these stereotypes. We will discuss the truth behind them, as well as the myths, and open up about how we have struggled with these stereotypes in our personal lives. 

 

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Welcome to the last episode of season one of Black Girl Voices: The Podcast! Thank you all so much for supporting us and carrying us through a fantastic first season. This is just the beginning for Black Girl Voices -- it is only going to get better from here. 

 

To conclude our first season, we are bringing you all a new series that we plan to do monthly called Hot Takes You Didn't Ask For. This series will allow us to share our reactions to what has gone on in the news from our perspective without having to make a new episode every time there is something to talk about. We all know that the news cycle is 24 seconds and is a lot to keep up with, so unless something HUGE happens that we feel the need to talk about immediately, we will begin saving our monthly round-up episode that you can expect on the last Monday of every month. This will allow us to focus on creating more in-depth, Black Girl Voices-specific content as well. 

 

Topics covered in this episode: 

Astroworld - who's to blame and the racism that emerged from this tragic event 

Julius Jones - heartbreak, rage, and white power 

Kyle Rittenhouse - white supremacy on full display 

Ahmaud Arbery - our fears as we await the verdict (note: we recorded this before the verdict was in) 

Mentioned in this episode: Julius Jone's video testimony 

 

Support Black Girl Voices:

Patreon: www.patreon.com/blackgirlvoices 

Instagram: www.instagram.com/blackgirlvoices 

Shivaun: www.instagram.com/shivaun_elizabeth 

Caroline: www.instagram.com/carolinejsumlin

November is National Adoption Awareness Month, so for this episode, we're switching up the roles a bit with Shivaun interviewing Caroline about her experiences with being an adoptee. Listen to this touching, honest, raw episode to get a glimpse into the mind and heart of someone who wrestles with the beauty and the pain of their adoption every single day. Make sure to take the rest of this month to honor adoptees and birth mothers who have endured the biggest losses in the adoption system, but are often the least heard. 

 

Support Black Girl Voices:

- Patreon: www.patreon.com/blackgirlvoices 

- BGV Instagram: www.instagram.com/blackgirlvoices 

- Shivaun's Instagram: www.instagram.com/shivaun_elizabeth

- Caroline's Instagram: www.instagram.com/carolinejsumlin